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Amazon fire Tv cube review
Alexa, a voice assistant, voice search, and voice commands are all features that have been available on Amazon’s Fire TV video streamers for the past few years.
To control Fire TV with your voice, all you have to do is push the button on the remote, and then talk into the pinhole microphone.
If you have an Echo, an Echo Dot, or another Amazon device that allows you to use Alexa with a wake-up word, you can pair it with a Fire TV to control your streaming media experience using just your voice.
This is possible if you have the ability to use Alexa with a wake-up word. Or, you could purchase the Amazon Fire TV Cube for $119.99 and receive all of the benefits of the combined Fire TV and Echo devices, including hands-free management of your home theatre system, in a single convenient box.
A button press and a single mic on a remote control aren’t the only ways to activate Alexa.
The Fire TV Cube features a far-field microphone array that can pick up your voice and activate Alexa with a wake word instead of those methods.
It is undeniably more expensive than the Fire TV Stick 4K, but the inclusion of hands-free Alexa commands makes it an excellent media streamer for anyone who does not already own Fire TV and Echo devices.
As a result, it earns our Editors’ Choice award and is recommended for purchase.
Fire TV Cube, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa
You can put away the remote control and use just your voice to navigate through all of your prefered movies and television shows with Amazon's Fire TV Cube. Simply tell Alexa to "play The Mandalorian on Disney+" from across the room, and she will comply with your request to watch the show.
You may easily transition from watching your favourite TV show to the big game by simply switching the inputs. Even when the television is turned off, you can still ask Alexa to check the weather, set timers and reminders, and perform other tasks.
The Design of the Fire TV Cube and Its Remote
The Fire TV Cube has a height, width, and depth of 3.0 by 3.4 by 3.4 inches (HWD), and it has sharp edges that meet at right angles at 90 degrees between each side.
The top panel of the Cube is a less lustrous matte black, in contrast to the glossy black plastic that makes up the sides of the cube.
On the front of the device is an etched Amazon logo, and around the top edge is a translucent bar that illuminates blue when Alexa is actively listening to something.
In addition to the four buttons that are present on the majority of Echo devices, the top panel features eight pinholes for the far-field microphone array.
These buttons are as follows: Volume Up/Down, Microphone Mute, and Alexa (for manually activating voice control without using the wake word).
The Cube is supported by four extremely low-profile rubber feet, each of which protrudes just a few millimetres from the surface of the device. This configuration allows the downward-firing speaker on the gadget’s base to be heard.
A connector for the power adapter, a 3.5mm socket for the inbuilt infrared blaster, an HDMI output, and a micro USB port for service are all located on the back of the Cube.
On the gadget, there is not an Ethernet port to be found. If you prefer to use a wired connection instead of the Cube’s dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, you can instead insert the Ethernet adapter that came with the device into the micro USB port on the back of the device.
The adapter does not make much sense, considering that there is a lot of room on the back of the Cube for a connection.
The remote control is an improved version of the Alexa Voice remote that comes included with latest editions of the Fire TV Stick. It is a straightforward black plastic wand that is only six inches long and about an inch and a half wide.
Above the glossy circular navigation pad are two buttons labelled “microphone” and “power,” and below the pad are six buttons labelled “menu” and “playback control.”
Below the playback controls are a volume rocker and a mute button, which, owing to the infrared emitter built into the remote, allow you to control the volume of your television.
You may use Alexa through the microphone button on the remote rather than the microphone on the Cube, and you don’t even need to use the wake phrase.
A pinhole microphone is located above the button. Because the remote communicates with the Cube via Bluetooth, you do not need a direct line of sight between the two devices, unless you want to operate your TV directly.
Key Features of Fire TV Cube( 2nd Gen)
Features of the Fire TV Cube
After initial setup, the Cube appears and functions exactly like a Fire TV, with the noticeable addition of voice control that does not require the user to use their hands.
You can interact with it in the same way as you would with an Echo device by saying “Alexa” to wake it up and conversing with it without touching the remote.
The Cube has a microphone array that is so powerful that it can pick up your words even when they are spoken from across a huge living room.
Amazon claims that it boosted the microphone sensitivity of the Cube in comparison to other Echo devices in order to better hear your speech when audio is coming through the TV or linked speakers because it is likely that the Cube will be placed near a TV or soundbar that is connected to a TV.
It is nevertheless recommended that the Cube be positioned at least one to two feet away from any active speakers in your home theatre system, including the television itself.
Principal Attributes
- Streaming Device for Fire TV That Is Both Quickest and Most Powerful From Across the Room.
- Simply Ask Alexa to Play Your Show, Turn on the TV, Dim the Lights, and Control Compatible Soundbars and A/V Receivers, and Much More!
- Even when the television is turned off, you can use your voice to change live cable or satellite channels using the built-in speaker. You can also ask Alexa to check the weather, turn off the lights, and perform other tasks.
- Instant access to 4K ultra HD content, as well as support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+.
- Watch Fan Favorites from Services Such as Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max
- Stream Content Without Cost With Services Such as Pluto TV, IMDb TV, and More
- Built with Privacy Protections and Controls, such as a Microphone Off Button that Electronically Disconnects the Microphones When this button is pressed, the microphones are no longer connected.
- You can operate your television without making a sound by using the power button and the volume button on the Alexa Voice Remote.
- Directly accessible from the Main Menu are all of your most frequently used features and apps, as well as Live TV.
Fire Tv Cube SetUp is easy
Fire TV Cube performance
In terms of its overall performance, Amazon’s Fire TV Cube has always been extremely dependable; but, the most recent update includes a number of enhancements that make it even swifter.
For instance, the original Fire TV Cube utilised a Quad core ARM Cortex-A53 1.5GHz CPU, Mali-450 MP3 GPU, and Amlogic S905Z SoC to produce stunning visuals and fast load times throughout the OS.
These components have since been upgraded to an ultra-powerful hexa-core processor that is capable of playing Dolby Vision and 4K Ultra HD content at up to 60 frames per second.
The transition time between watching a show on Netflix, returning to the home screen, and starting to watch a movie on Amazon is a matter of seconds, and there are virtually no pop-in problems along the way.
It’s likely that you won’t even need to wait for videos to buffer if you have a connection speed of more than 15 megabits per second and a Wi-Fi antenna that supports 802.11ac. Instead, the videos will start playing as soon as you select them.
The end effect is that content appears stunning, particularly television shows and movies that are presented in 4K HDR. Launching All or Nothing:
The same could be said with Dolby Vision content, which likewise has an excellent visual quality despite the fact that it is somewhat more difficult to locate.
Amazon suggests beginning with Stranger Things and Our Planet on Netflix, as well as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Prime Video; all three of these shows are excellent examples of the increased colour range.
Fire TV Cube setup
Unboxing took longer than intended. The Fire TV Cube downloaded multiple updates before I could start setup, including the new Fire OS UI. Next, I’ll discuss Fire TV OS.
The upgrade took nine minutes via Ethernet and gigabit Internet (CenturyLink).
I could then begin setup.
Amazon lets you link your account to sidestep many of the tiresome elements of setting up a new device, like Google does with Android TV.
On your computer or smartphone, visit amazon.com/code and input the five-digit code. Once you log onto Amazon, your Fire TV Cube is registered.
Registering your Fire TV Cube links purchases made on other devices or Amazon.com. It allows you import Fire TV settings without going through each option.
If you don’t import your settings, you’re given options for parental controls, installing streaming services, and enabling Alexa.
Alexa as digital Assistant
The capability of the Amazon Fire TV Cube to host Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant, is of equal importance to the device’s capacity to reproduce high-quality video.
The novelty of this function, which wowed us when it was introduced on the first-generation Fire TV Cube, has started to wear off, and now we can see it more clearly for what it is: a versatile personal assistant that nevertheless has some issues.
If you have a smart camera that is compatible with the Amazon Fire TV Cube, you will be able to use it to watch a live video stream of what your camera is now seeing.
If you are looking for movie schedules or restaurant recommendations, both of these details will appear on the screen, along with the establishments’ ratings and the distance they are from your house.
Alexa is absolutely capable of performing all of these tasks just utilising voice commands; however, adding a screen that can display visual information significantly increases the system’s usability.
You can now utilise the drop-in or calling features with the Amazon Fire TV Cube, which is a good addition.
Additionally, Alexa can display pictures and pricing of items on the Amazon store, which is fantastic if you like to buy from the comfort of your own home.
What do we think Amazon Fire TV Cube
Our favourite Amazon streaming device is the Fire TV Cube. It’s better than Amazon’s 2017 Fire TV dongle.
The Amazon Fire TV Cube delivers hands-free movie playback controls and can control your home. When you add Amazon’s simple yet smart visual cues for Alexa’s basic skills, you have a terrific streaming movie player.
The upgraded model’s improved processor and Dolby Vision are worth the extra $20.
Technically, you could do everything the Fire TV Cube does with an Amazon Echo Dot and a Fire TV Stick 4K.
However, the hexacore processor-powered box is more responsive and causes less discomfort. Fire TV Cube is more than the sum of its components.
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About the Author: Ell Rae
Reviewed by: Ell Rae, an interior designer and Dorm decor expert based in South Melbourne, Australia. She is a Content Creator & Blogger with the Peplifestyle team.